Author: Bushwise writer

My origins in film and wildlife photography

Bushwise’s Louise Pavid shares her passion for safari and wildlife through photography and videography. In this post, she tells us how this fascination all started – and where it’s taken her. When I was a young and naïve eight year old I answered the same question most eight year olds answer: “What do you want...

K9 unit: what conservation dogs can do

K9 units play an essential role in anti-poaching, wildlife detection, human tracking, and conservation efforts in the Greater Kruger National Park. Bushwise videographer and photographer Louise Pavid tells us about the Bushwise experience meeting these important dogs! When you think of the African bush, you think of the sounds of the wild: lions roaring, hippos grunting, hyenas...

Why I want to be a field guide: what inspires Bushwise students

By: Annie DuPre and the current Bushwise field guide students We asked Bushwise students: “Why do you want to be a field guide?” Their answers were as diverse as they were similar. What follows is a combination of their responses, unified into one story which showcases their joint passion for conservation, the desire to make...

Track and sign: art or science?

Following the track and sign portion of the Bushwise Professional Field Guide course, Louise Pavid tells us a bit more about the art and science of tracking. Writing and Photos By: Louise Pavid, Bushwise Photographer and Videographer Being able to identify and follow animal tracks has long been regarded as a mysterious ability that only...

Carnivore competition: it’s more than instinct

BY: Louise Pavid, Bushwise Photographer and Videographer The age old adage of dogs chasing cats is something that extends as far back as our own genetic and ancestral memories. But what about cats chasing dogs – which in natural African landscapes, is a far more likely occurrence? Several weeks ago we were treated to an...

Lions and hyenas and wild dogs – oh my!

BY: Amelia Buckley Camp manager blogs are written by our current students who each get a chance to lead and manage a group of their fellow students for a period of one week. This week with Bushwise we were treated to an unbelievable sighting in the Greater Kruger – an interaction between three of Africa’s...

We don’t know these roads yet

Some images in this article were taken pre-COVID-19.  BY: Danelle Ferreira Camp manager blogs are written by our current students who each get a chance to lead and manage a group (of their fellow students) for a period of one week. My first week with Bushwise at the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC) can only...

Wander the wild: bushwalk

BY: Louise Pavid The images in this article were taken pre-COVID-19.     Being on foot in the wild touches a primal, ancestral and seemingly forgotten part of our human genetics. In today’s modern, fast-paced and instantly gratified lifestyle, it’s easy to neglect the places we come from. It’s easy for us to say that we...

It’s the small things that bring the wild to life

BY: Louise Pavid   Chasing the big five is always the number one priority for most bushveld newcomers. The thrill of spotting a leopard or having an elephant stand within metres of you is prized above all else. Yet, it’s often the case that the smaller things are what makes an experience in the wild...

Feeling alive on game drives

Some images in this article were taken pre-COVID-19.      The wild has beckoned adventurers, explorers and nature enthusiasts for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The thrill of never knowing what lies around the next corner, under the next tree or behind the next bush entices us to always push further.     Going...